An Innocent Prank
by dbanjeezeez
Summary: Thinking about it, it's all Lily's fault, really. If she hadn't played that stupid prank on me, I would never have been captured by the Death Eaters. James R&R!
1. Chapter 1

"Guys, I'm pretty sure we're not supposed to be here," Remus said nervously, as his eyes scanned through the dark forest once more.

"Of course, we're not supposed be here, Moony," I snorted, raising my wand a little higher so I could see. "It's called The _Forbidden_ Forest. As in, it's _forbidden."_

Sirius snickered. His laugh seemed incredibly loud in the silence that surrounded us. "It's alright Remus. James is just testy because he's worried Evans might have blown him off."

I decided not to respond. For one thing, he was right. What if this was all just some stupid prank? Merlin knows Evans had plenty reason to try and humiliate me. I'd embarrassed her countless times in public, asked her out relentlessly (because I actually really liked her, and not because she was some conquest… which is what Evans thought), turned her hair blue on several occasions… I'd even broken her arm one time which, by the way, was a _complete _accident. That prank didn't exactly go according to plan… It was supposed to be funny! Needless to say, it didn't turn out very funny at all.

"Lily?" I called out. I know, smart move genius. Why don't you yell loudly in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, where there have been tales of giant spiders that swallow you whole?

"Oh Lily darling," Sirius imitated me in an overdramatic voice. "Where are you, my love? Stop playing these silly games so we can run away together!"

Remus and Peter laughed.

"Har har," I said, whipping round to face him in irritation. "You're so bloody funny Sirius, gosh darn it, I can barely contain my laughter."

Sirius wiped away a fake tear and looked at me, grinning. "Sorry mate, but it's hilarious how whipped you are."

"I am _not_ -"

"James," Sirius said seriously. "You've dragged us out here in the middle of the night, forgetting that there very well could be some man-eating monsters in here, becauseyou got a note from Evans in class saying you should meet her here."

I glared at him, only because I sensed a grain of truth in his words.

"And," Sirius continued, "you know what's even more stupid? The fact that this is so obviously a prank, I can't believe you don't see it. First off, Evans would _never_ break school rules and go to the Forbidden Forest, of all places, in the dead of night, just to see _you._ Second off, she sent you this note only a few minutes after you put that Silencing Charm on her so she wouldn't be able to answer anymore of Flitwick's questions. So now is this starting to sound stupid to you too?"

I looked at Remus for support, hoping he would say what I was thinking. That Lily didn't have the ability to do anything spiteful to anyone, even if it was me, and that if she said she would be out here, she probably would be.

But Remus shook his head and said, "I hate to say this Prongs, and trust me, I really do hate to say this, but Sirius is right. It's probably some joke."

I glanced at Peter. He shrugged. "Sorry, mate."

"Fine," I snapped, straightening up. "Fine. Alright then. Go on. If you think it's so stupid, you all can go back to bed. I'll find Evans myself."

Before they could convince me, I stepped out of the clearing we were in, and walked away.

After a few minutes, I silently cursed. What was I getting angry with them for? They _had_ come down with me after all. Shouldn't it be Evans I should've lashed out at?

I sighed and heaved against a trunk, suddenly tired. I had left my Invisibility Cloak and the Map with Sirius. And I had no clue where I was. Bloody great.

"Bring on the man-eating spiders," I said gloomily, staring at the light at the tip of my wand.

Suddenly, I heard rustling coming from my right. I turned and pointed my wand light into the thicket of trees, cautiously taking a step forward. All my senses heightened and I felt my heart quicken as the rustling became more noticeable. I hadn't actually _wanted_ to be eaten by a spider. Merlin, what an awful way to go.

"Lily?" I whispered hopefully.

But instead of Lily's calming voice, I heard a yell. "Stupefy!"

And everything went black.

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**A/N**: I really shouldn't be doing this, omg, finals coming up soon and such. But this story has been sitting on my computer for so long! Review please, so my guilt is eased :)


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up to the most disgusting odor I'd ever smelled. I tried to open my eyes to look around in disgust, but I couldn't for some reason. After hyperventilating for a few moments (I was so sure I had gone blind), I realized that someone had put a blindfold over my eyes.

This only increased my confusion. There was something stuffed into my mouth so I couldn't talk, and I was bound tightly in a chair. After trying and failing to escape, I tried to locate my surroundings. Somewhere old probably… and smelly. There was water dripping from somewhere… probably a leak in the ceiling.

I sat there for Merlin knows how long. I couldn't tell how time was passing, but it felt like a pretty long time to me.

My back was aching very badly when finally, I heard a door open somewhere, and I saw light flood in from under the blindfold. The gross material was ripped from my mouth, and I realized how bone- dry my tongue was.

"Water," I croaked. "Please."

I heard a cruel laugh. "No no no, Potter. There'll be no water for you right now. Not until you've obeyed the Dark Lord's commands."

"Sorry, I don't do religion," I said shortly. "Why am I tied up? Let me go."

I felt a hard blow on my cheek and I jerked my head back in shock.

"I'd watch my tongue if I were you, Potter," he spat out my name as if it were some disgusting word, "you filthy blood traitor. The Dark Lord won't be as tolerable as I am."

"I'd pay to say you intolerable," I shot back.

Another blow to my cheek and I tasted blood in my mouth. It occurred to me to be a little bit respectful to the person who had tied me up and was trying to hurt me.

"Lucius, don't hurt the boy," another voice came from farther away. "You heard the Dark Lord. He's to be preserved for his questioning."

I sensed this 'Lucius' person hesitate and then step back. "I was merely teaching him a lesson, Ravier. Henry Potter's son, you know? That meddlesome old fool that heads the Auror Department. What I would pay to see the pain in his eyes when he sees the remains of his dead son…"

His voice was fading as if he was walking away, but I perked up at my father's name. The remains of his dead son? What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean?

The door slammed shut again and the room fell into darkness once more. The drip of water was strangely tantalizing now. My mouth was dry and I was craving water badly.

I was starting to get worried. Where were the Marauders? Where was _I_? Who were these people? What did they want with me, of all people? And who the hell was this Dark Lord person?

And then it hit me. Lucius… Ravier… Dark Lord… I'd heard all these names several times. My father had come home complaining to my mother about a new dangerous group of people, including a Lucius and a Ravier, under the command of one they referred to as' The Dark Lord'. They'd been all over the papers recently, killing mercilessly, gathering information… slowly getting stronger…

I frantically tried to remove the binds from around my hands, but there was no hope. The knots were tied fast. I tried every method of escape I'd learned over the years, but none of them worked. I even tried wandless magic, since I didn't have my wand and it worked for me every once in a while… nothing.

I gave up, slumping in my seat, my back aching dully. Maybe we were still near Hogwarts… maybe the Marauders would come to help me… unless they still thought I was in a huff… which they probably did… shit.

What the hell did they even want from me anyways? If it was something about my dad, he never told me anything from work because apparently, it was "dangerous information."

I fell into a kind of doze. You know, the kind of sleep where you're not _completely_ asleep, but you're still aware of your surroundings. I don't know how long it was, before the door opened and light flooded through the room again, waking me up.

"James Potter," came a cold, quiet voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," I said mock- brightly, then mentally kicked myself. Where the hell did _that _come from? This was so _not_ the time, or the person to take the mickey out of. I just couldn't help it. Damn Marauder blood.

He laughed softly. And no not a laugh like Evans', that just makes you want to laugh too. No, his laugh was the kind of laugh that just screamed, "You're about to die, RUN!"

I gulped and tensed as I sensed him get closer to me. My cheek still hurt from that previous punch.

"Ah, good," he took a deep breath in, "I smell fear James. Good. You should fear me."

"I'm not scared of you," I lied, quite bravely if I do say so myself. "How can I fear what I don't see?"

The man made an amused sound. "A fool's way of thinking. Yet, you are young, and so it is understandable. The wisest men fear what is unknown, James. They fear what is unforeseen and invisible… because you cannot fight the unseen, nor can you defend yourself from it. It is why the dark is many a man's greatest fear. However, you're not here for that. I need you to see me, so we can work together."

The blindfold disappeared from my eyes, and it took me a moment for my eyes to readjust to the lighting. I wish they didn't though, because when I saw this Dark Lord, I almost yelled out in shock. He didn't look like any normal human being. In fact… he looked more like a snake, with his slit-red eyes and his flat nose.

He smiled a lipless smile. "Now do you fear me?"

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I," he said, caressing his wand, "am Lord Voldemort. But I look forward to the day you will refer to me as the "Dark Lord".

I scoffed, all traces of fear gone. "Not bloody likely. Who do you think you are anyways, bringing me here and tying me up? Is there something you want from me?"

I saw his eyes flash for a moment, but a second later it was gone. "I have it with good knowledge that the man you call Professor Dumbledore, has passed on to you some information that would be useful to me."

"No, you have it with bad knowledge," I pointed out, "because Dumbledore didn't tell me anything."

He walked towards me and leaned forward, bringing his terrible face into even sharper relief. "Ah, but you're lying, Mr. Potter. You're lying."

"No, I'm not," I said shortly. "He told me nothing, and I would like to go now."

At that moment, something caught my eye from the slightly open window high on the opposite wall from me, so to Voldemort's back. It was a large shaggy dog that looked dreadfully familiar, and another person that made my heart skip a beat and sink at the same time. The pale, scared face of Lily Evans stared down at me through the window.

"Potter," Voldemort leaned his face closer towards mine, obstructing my view of Evans and Sirius, and I could smell his putrid breath. "You must understand… if you don't let me know this information, I will kill you."

"No, what will kill me is your unfortunate ignorance of the words _breath mint_."

I don't know why I said it. I don't know why. Maybe it was just Evans' presence. It just kind of blurted out of me. I regretted it the moment it came out of my mouth, knowing I had crossed the line. Someone like Sirius would've found it bloody hilarious but Voldemort… he didn't have much of a sense of humor.

"Stand up, Potter," he snapped, walking away from me. The ropes vanished from my legs and arms and I stood up, stretching. My back was screaming in protest.

Voldemort turned back to me, and pointed his wand right at my chest. "You have five seconds to tell me the information you possess, or you will deeply regret it."

"Woah!" I said, holding up my arms. "I really don't know what you're talking about."

"Five."

"Don't you think you're being a teensy bit ridic-"

"Four."

"Dumbledore didn't tell me anything-"

"Three."

"I swear it, why would he even -"

"I'm warning you Potter. Two."

"And I'm telling you -"

"One." he whispered, with a cold smile. "I gave you your chance… CRUCIO!"

The pain that hit me was unlike anything I had ever felt. Every single pore on my body was being pierced by a white-hot knife. It felt like my very molecules had burst into flame. I fell to the ground, trying very hard to scream. I would not give him the satisfaction. My teeth were clamped so hard down on my tongue, I tasted blood.

Without warning, it stopped. I fell back to the ground, panting and shaking. No wonder the damn curse was illegal.

"I will ask you again," Voldemort said. "What is Dumbledore planning?"

I scrambled to my knees. "I can't tell you what he's planning," I said, breathing heavily.

He raised his wand again. "_Crucio!_"

The pain came again. This time I wanted to die. I just wanted to die. I didn't know where I was, who I was, all I knew was the pain. Death seemed so sweet then, to just not feel anything…

It stopped again.

"What is he planning Potter?" Voldemort asked loudly, his cool, calculating exterior seeming to vanish a little. "Or perhaps another dose of pain?"

"No," I gasped. "Please -"

"_Crucio!_"

This time, I couldn't hold back the scream that ripped from my throat. The loudest I'd ever screamed in my life. I didn't even care that Evans and Sirius were there, watching me. I didn't care about anything, except when the pain was going to end.

When it did, it took me forever to get to my feet. I was exhausted. Mentally and physically. I hadn't eaten or drank in who knew how long, and it was definitely taking a toll on me now.

"Tired, James?" he asked cruelly. As I looked to glance at him, my eye caught the window where Lily and Sirius were watching, and saw that Evans had covered her eyes with her hands and Sirius was pawing softly at the window. I tried to send a message to them with my eyes, without Voldemort noticing. "_Get out of here! Please, he'll kill you!"_

"Let me refresh your memory," Voldemort said icily. "It has to do with that Mudblood Evans."

"Lily?" I asked hoarsely, making sure to keep my eyes away from the window. "Leave her out of this. She didn't do anything."

He let out a cold laugh. "So there _is_ something there. I knew it. Love makes you weak, James, and the weak are so predictable, you see."

"If you touch her," I said, my voice hard, "I will kill you."

"Oh, but dear boy, I'll be the one to kill you… _Crucio!_"

It was completely unexpected. Again I fell to the ground. When it ended, he didn't even wait for me to finish getting up, he cursed me again… and again… and again…

After the eighth curse, I was a crumpled mess on the ground. I was dripping with sweat and I couldn't stop trembling. My vision was fading at the sides, and the room was spinning slowly. My throat hurt from all the screaming. Lily and Sirius weren't at the window anymore, and I was glad. At least he couldn't get to them. But I was scared now. They're scared faces were at least some comfort. I could tell Voldemort was furious that I wasn't releasing any information. Even though, you know, I had no information to release. He looked ready to murder me. Literally.

"I give you another day to think about this," he said quietly. "If you're still holding back, I _will_ kill you."

With that he turned and strode out of the room, his robes billowing behind him. He slammed the door behind him and the room plunged into darkness. I was definitely scared now. Was this really how I was going to die? What about my mum? My dad? They would be devastated. I couldn't do that to them. What about the Marauders? Hogwarts? Lily? I'd never even kissed her before.

I was only seventeen years old. I had so much to live for…

With that thought rattling around in my head, I slipped into unconsciousness.

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**A/N:** Review please :)


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh Jamesie! Look what we've found!" a female voice cackled.

The door slammed open and I jerked awake. About twenty people, all dressed in black walked into the room, Voldemort in the lead. A dark-haired woman walked in beside him, laughing insanely.

As the people spread out, I let out a very audible groan and my heart sunk to the bottom of my stomach. Lily and Remus. They were tied and bound, and their mouths were covered. They were struggling but they were being held tightly by some men in black robes.

"Aww," the black-haired woman cackled. "Your poor friends Jamesie. You don't know how to save them, do you?"

"Bellatrix," Voldemort said calmly. "Leave the boy to me. We aren't here for your taunts." He turned to me. "Now Potter, first off, I'm going to teach you a lesson. CRUCIO!"

And I was screaming again. The curse seemed to be more painful, if that was even possible, and it went on for longer than usual, about twenty seconds longer. I was going to die. I could already feel my body giving up.

"Stand up Potter," Voldemort smiled, as all of his Death Eaters laughed uproariously, like this was the funniest thing they had ever seen. "Stand up and face death like a man."

I couldn't. I just couldn't. I was actually close to tears. I wanted my mother. I wanted her to hold me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I wanted her to kiss the pain away. I wanted to be a little boy again.

"I said stand up!"

My body started moving of its own accord, and I was standing and facing them all. I started swaying as soon as the spell was lifted off me.

"Now Potter," Voldemort said. "We have your friends- bring them forward- and unless you want to see their throats slit, you'll give me what I want."

As Lily and Remus were pushed forward, I looked at them in anguish. Lily had tears rolling down her face, and they were both struggling. They were trying to tell me something, but the cloths around their mouths were muffling their voices. Despair filled my heart; there was no way we were getting out of this. We were only three kids, wandless, and bound against about twenty Death Eaters. There was no escape possible.

"Let them go," I said and I was surprised to hear my voice sound strong and firm. "I'm the one you want, isn't it? They have nothing to do with this."

The Death Eaters jeered again and Voldemort smiled coldly. I clenched my fists in anger. Were they really laughing at me? They'd attacked me, they'd tied me in a chair for who knows how long, they'd insulted my parents, they'd tortured me, they'd threatened me, then they captured my friends and were using them against me, and now they were laughing at me? The rage that began to course through my veins sparked my energy. I pulled myself to full height and saw Remus and Lily stop struggling to look at me.

"Let them go," I shouted furiously, and the Death Eaters fell silent. "Or I swear I'll -"

"Do what exactly?" Voldemort still looked amused. "You are defenseless, Potter, we outnumber you greatly, and you are a mere boy. What do you think you could possibly do?"

I opened my mouth to retort but found I had nothing to say. Voldemort noticed this and the Death Eater began to laugh again.

"Bring the girl forward," Voldemort said, still smiling. My heart began to hammer wildly as the man holding her pulled a squirming Lily to the center. She was putting up a great fight; her hair was flying into her face and her green eyes were darting to my face and back to Remus'. I noticed with a hint of pride that the green orbs were not filled with fear but with anger and defiance.

"Perhaps this will loosen your tongue," Voldemort said coldly. He raised his wand and pointed it straight at Lily's face and I saw her eyes flicker with fear. That did it. It happened as if in slow motion. Voldemort began to mouth the words to the spell, and all I thought was _He's not touching her, he won't touch her_ and I felt myself propelling my body forward. I pushed Lily out of the way - a bit harder than I'd intended so she fell to the ground. There was a flash of light from his wand and I felt pain explode in my chest as though someone's had slashed at me with a sword. I was on the floor and there was blood… lots of it.

I seemed to lose my hearing for a bit, I was so dazed. Then it came back with full force as I heard Lily's muffled screaming somewhere to my left. The Death eaters were cursing and Voldemort was looming over me, an ugly scowl twisting his face.

"You insufferable boy," he hissed. "Your time to die hasn't come yet, Potter. I said I'd give you another day to think about your decisions. So for now…" He flicked his wand and I felt the blood flow stop and the pain in my chest ease a little.

I think I fainted for a bit after that because when I opened my eyes again, they were all gone and only Lily and Remus remained, bound to the wall on my right and talking quietly to each other. I groaned loudly as the pain all over my body hit me hard.

"Potter!" Lily exclaimed, her voice tired, relieved, scared, and angry all at the same time. Remus let out a relieved 'Thank Merlin,' and attempted to move towards me, but his bonds restrained him.

With a tremendous effort, I pulled myself up to a sitting position. My head spun dizzily for a moment, but I put it in my hands for a few moments and the room righted itself again.

"Oh, Potter," Lily's choked voice came. "Potter. I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I didn't - I… I didn't think. I mean, Professor Dumbledore is always telling us how dangerous it is in the Forest, but I was so… angry and - and… Oh I'm so sorry!"

It took me a few moments to understand what she was talking about. But then it hit me; the note. It had been a prank after all. I turned to look at her tear-filled face. Her red hair was messy and her face was grimy and I so desperately wanted to be angry with her. She'd caused all this. She'd used my affection for her against me. She'd embarrassed me in front of my friends. But I couldn't. She was Lily Evans, the most fantastic girl at Hogwarts and the girl I'd been besotted with since we were thirteen. Four years later, and nothing had changed. I couldn't be angry at her.

"It's fine," I muttered, turning away from her. "Really, I -"

"How can you say that?" she said, anger evident in her voice. "How can you say, _it's fine_ as if you just lost a Quidditch match or something. You've just been tortured! You're pale as a ghost, you have bruises all over you, you were under the Cruciatus more times than any experienced Auror has, you were bleeding all over the floor just a few hours ago, we're locked up in a grimy cell, and soon a bunch of demented men in robes are coming down here to kill us if you don't give them information _that you don't have_! In what _world_ is this fine?"

Her voice took on a slightly hysterical note at the end and I winced. She was right. It wasn't bloody fine.

"Lily, calm down," Remus said firmly, and I mentally thanked Merlin for his ability to keep calm in every situation. "If we're going to get out of this, we need to think clearly – you getting hysterical isn't going to help."

She made a weird, strangled noise and dropped her head in her hands. Remus glanced at her worriedly but then turned to face me.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" I asked wearily. The curses were really beginning to take a toll on me. "Where's Sirius? Where are we?"

Remus shook his head. "I don't know where Sirius is, but I know we're somewhere deep inside the Forbidden Forest. When you left last night, we thought you just needed some space, so we went back into the castle. But then you didn't show up at all for the day and we had to tell teachers you were sick in the Hospital Wing. Lily got all worried and was ready to march to the Hospital Wing to apologize, so we told her that we didn't where you were. So we decided to go look for you that night. All four of us."

My heart jumped when he said Lily had been worried about me. She actually cared? Well, perhaps it had been more guilt on her part, but it was still _worry_.

"It wasn't that hard to find," Remus mused. "The Death Eaters aren't particularly skilled in the art of sobriety. We heard them from about a mile off."

I laughed slightly, but it soon turned into a hacking cough. Remus made a move towards me, but was stopped again by the chains.

"I'm fine," I said hoarsely, at Remus' worried look. "There's no need to worry about me, mum."

It was supposed to make him smile, but all he did was stare at me. "Prongs," he said slowly. "I'm scared for you. This information… I heard them, they want it badly. And if you can't give it to them…"

I gulped. Maybe I did know the information they wanted. I racked my brain trying to remember if Dumbledore had ever told me anything worth protecting, but came up with nothing. The only things I'd ever talked about to Dumbledore were detentions and higher expectations. Anything else Dumbledore said was always cryptic and confusing. My father on the other hand…

I breathed in sharply. He had told me something. It was brief and not much, but I vaguely remembered him telling me something last summer… something about an organization against Anti-muggle supporters… what was it, The Order? The Order of the Phoenix, if I remembered clearly. It made sense. He'd mentioned Lily too, she was really talented, according to Dumbledore, and was on the Order's radar for future recruits. Her along with a few other students… Marlene McKinnon… Alice Prewett, Frank Longbottom… Sirius, Remus, Peter… and me.

This changed everything. I suddenly felt a lot more scared. Now that I actually knew what they wanted, it would be so much harder to keep it from them. Which now meant that the fate of the Order rested in my hands. I tried to swallow the huge lump that formed in my throat. "I can handle it," I choked out to Remus.

Lily's head snapped up, a disbelieving look on her face. "You can handle it? You can handle the Cruciatus Curse?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't tell them that the thought of another Cruciatus made me want to run and hide as quickly as possible. It would only worry them. Instead, I glanced towards the impossibly high window and then to the heavy-looking door.

"Let's just hope Sirius is getting help," I murmured, leaning back against the wall.

8

It was a long time before any of us spoke again. Moonlight streamed through the window above us, and the sound of Remus' deep, heavy breathing filled the room. I'd shared a dorm with him long enough to know that he was asleep. I wish I could sleep as well, but the pain in my chest was keeping me up. Voldemort had stopped the bleeding and closed the wound but it still throbbed painfully. I let out a tiny groan.

"You know what they want, don't you?"

I jumped slightly at Lily's quiet voice.

"What?" I asked.

"The information they want," she said slowly, "you know it."

It was more of a statement than a question. I didn't reply. Even though we were alone in the room, I didn't feel comfortable saying anything for fear of being overheard.

"Potter," I saw her outline move and sit up against the wall near her. "I know this sounds a bit… cowardly, but don't you think you should release the information?"

"What?" I said again, though more incredulous this time.

"I don't know," she said quickly, "it depends obviously. Potter, they really want to kill us. Is the information really worth it?"

"Let's just say there's a reason Voldemort wants this really badly," I said shortly.

She huffed. "Oh, really? Listen, I know you have this hero complex where you think you have to save the day, but this is really serious-"

"Oh, so you think I don't know that?" I said, getting angry. "How about you try getting hit with the Cruciatus and see whether you won't grasp the situation as serious. Lives depend on this -"

"Yes, I can see that," she snapped. "My life, Remus' life, your life. I don't know about you, but I have family and friends who will be devastated if I end up dying just because you don't know when to stop playing hero -"

"Playing hero?" I couldn't believe she was saying this. "Are you serious? _Are you serious_? You said yourself, this is serious; you think I'm trying to show off here? If you don't recall, this is your fault! We wouldn't be in this mess if not for you! And now you're telling me I'm going to get us all killed trying to be a hero? Here's an idea, why don't you try and find a way to get us out of here, seeing as you got us in here in the first place! Because I don't know what to do, Evans," I said, breathing heavily. "I really just don't know what to do.

She fell silent after that, and I felt quite proud of myself for shutting Lily Evans up. But my satisfaction melted away soon when I heard little sniffles from across the room.

I fidgeted uncomfortably on the hard ground. I hadn't meant to make her cry… I was just trying to… I don't even know what I'd been trying to do.

"Look Evans," I started uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, alright? I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just really frustrated."

"No, don't apologize," she sniffed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of that, really. I'm just so scared. I shouldn't be yelling at you, this is all my fault. If you feel the information is important, you should try to keep it away from him. It's very brave of you."

I was stunned for a moment. She'd just apologized and called me brave. "Er… thanks."

She sniffed in reply, and we fell into an awkward silence as she tried to get rid of the snot in her nose.

"Why'd you go down to the forest?" she asked me, a while later. I turned to face her tiredly. "I mean, obviously it was a joke. I wouldn't ever go down to the forest, much less to meet you of all people. Why would you go down just because I asked you to?"

It stung, I admit, to hear her say that, no matter how gently she said it, but I tried not to let it show in my voice. "I'd probably do anything you asked me to, Lily," I said simply. Usually, I'd be worried that I'd gone too far with the statement - Lily made it very clear that she did not appreciate my suggestive comments - but seeing as it looked like we were hours from death, I didn't really care anymore.

She was silent for a bit, but then mumbled. "Just like you, Potter."

I looked at her dark form in confusion. "What does that mean?"

She sighed. "I mean, it's just like you to be a total arse one moment, and then the next moment, you're saying the sweetest things. Just… if you're going to be an arse, be consistent with it… and same for being sweet, alright? It'll save me a whole lot of confusion."

I stared at her. "You think I say sweet things?"

I could almost feel her rolling her eyes. "Maybe."

I couldn't help it, I grinned. Lily Evans thought I was sweet. "You're a hell of an actress, you know," I mused, "because I was under the impression that everything I said was 'lame' and should only be used on 'girls with an IQ lower than your pet cat's.'"

Lily laughed, and I grinned even wider. That was the first time she'd ever laughed at anything I'd said. In that moment, I didn't even care that we were tied up and in danger. Lily and I were getting along.

"Well, they were." Lily said. "Remember that time in fourth year when you climbed on the Gryffindor table and read me that poem? I think it went something like 'You're pretty, I'm pretty, we should go out.'"

"Ah," I groaned, "as a matter of fact, I think I've permanently blocked that from my memory. Sirius, Remus and Peter teased me for days on end over that. Trust me, Evans, that'll be the last time I'm ever reciting poems to you on a table."

"Pity. I was so hoping you'd do it again."

"Well, I'm sorry you're disappointed."

"Me too."

We fell silent again after that, a comfortable silence this time. Remus shifted in his sleep, but he remained asleep. It occurred to me how lucky we were that the full moon was two weeks away. It would not have been pretty if the full moon was tonight.

"Oh, and thanks a lot for today, Potter."

I snapped my attention back to Lily. "Thanks for what?"

"For saving me," she replied quietly. "You really shouldn't have, but it was very… chivalrous of you. Thanks."

I put my hand to my heart. "Merlin, first you call me sweet, and now chivalrous. Stop it, Evans, I don't think I can handle much more of this."

She laughed again. "Oh hush. I'm serious. That spell looked awful, why would anyone ever use one like that? Those bastards."

"Oh, I'm fine," I waved it off. "Seriously. It only lasted for a few minutes anyway -"

"I'm not an idiot, Potter. It's obvious you're in a lot of pain. You keep groaning every five minutes. And it really is all my fault."

"No it's not," I argued weakly. "Just… stay away from pranks in the future, okay? They're not for you. And besides," I added quickly, "I can think of some ways you can repay me."

She snorted. "Like what?"

"One date," I said immediately. "Just one. Come with me to Hogsmeade, have a few drinks or even go to the bookstore, or something. Anywhere you want. Just one date."

She paused for a moment and I'd held my breath. I'd asked her out countless times, but this time was different. This time, for some reason or the other, I felt there was a chance she might say yes.

Before she could answer, however, lights flared through the slit under the door. Someone was coming.

"Tell you what, Potter," Lily muttered. "Let's get out of here alive, and then we'll see."

* * *

**A/N:** Hi hi lol just saying this story is written purely for my entertainment but it'd still be nice if you reviewed heh heh thnx okay bye


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